Spectrally coordinated pattern search-imaging system and method

ABSTRACT

A system for selecting decorative materials is based on large numbers of high-resolution, full color images of decorative materials stored in a compressed format on an inexpensive medium such as a CD-ROM. In creating the ROM, each image is coordinated with additional information such as style of pattern, type of material, and other auxiliary information. Before final compression and storage of the image data color information is added by spectrophotometrically analyzing the decorative material. Color values for a background color and up to four foreground colors are determined. Individual colors are then referenced to a comprehensive color standard system containing a large number of standardized color swatches. Spectrophotometric color referencing allows the data records to be rapidly searched on the basis of color, as well as the other information in the record. Wallpaper patterns, drapery material, floor covering, or paint can then be rapidly selected on the basis of matching color. Various patterns and paints can be compared side by side on a high-resolution computer monitor that has been calibrated to produce an accurate color image. Finally, the chosen paints and other decorating materials can be rendered onto a room image so that the consumer can view an accurate simulation of the chosen materials.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/292,514 filed Aug. 18,1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,829.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns the area of interior home fashion and,more specifically, a system which allows a database of essentially allavailable wallcovering patterns to be rapidly searched on the basis ofexact spectral characteristics of foreground and background patterncolors, general pattern characteristics, and room characteristics todisplay high-resolution, color correct images of retrieved patterns, andrender selected patterns onto photographic images of rooms.

2. Description of Related Art

Human beings are visually oriented mammals. Unlike many mammals whoseprimary senses are those of smell or hearing, our visual sense isprimary; hence, sayings such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words."Furthermore, our vision is color sensitive and binocular (depthsensitive). There is no mistaking the importance of visual cues,especially those involving color, in our day-to-day existence. Manypsychological studies have even purported to show that certainenvironmental colors provoke hostility and anxiety, while other (colorsare conducive to rest or contemplation.

It is little wonder that so much time and money is spent on interiordesign and interior decorating. It is no mean feat to provide a roominterior that is both pleasant to behold and occupy and, at the sametime, in keeping with the function of the room. The various componentsof wall and ceiling color, wallcovering (i.e., wallpaper) color andpattern, window treatments (i.e., draperies and shades) color andpattern, floor covering color and pattern, and furniture style, colorand pattern must all be properly coordinated to achieve a result that isboth aesthetically pleasing and economically viable.

Perhaps the simplest way to obtain a coordinated room is to copy anacceptable design from a magazine or other published source. However, itis unlikely that a magazine design will fit the real needs of a consumerwishing to decorate a room. Furthermore, the consumer's room is unlikelyto physically match the layout of the magazine room; nor is a magazineat all likely to provided coordinated designs for the other rooms of theconsumer's home. Therefore, the usual method is to employ an interiordesigner and look at numerous paint and pattern samples in an attempt toselect the ideal colors and patterns to coordinate the room design andfurnishings, as well as the rooms' relationship with other rooms of thehome.

A good interior designer is usually able to narrow down the range ofsamples that must be viewed, but such a designer is likely to beexpensive. If the consumer attempts to save money by making his/her ownselections, the process is apt to be arduous, time consuming andfrustrating. If the consumer wishes to match the design parameters to"grandma's old brocaded chair," the process is likely to be nearlyimpossible.

Either the interior designer or the consumer must ultimately look atmyriad patterns in sample books and then attempt to match them withappropriate paint colors and upholstery patterns and colors, etc. Ifgrandma's furniture is being matched, the problem becomes even moredifficult. While the majority of people have sensitive color vision andcall recognize slight color mismatches when the colors are placed sideby side, the vast majority of people have extremely poor color memories.Thus, to make an accurate match, the color to be matched must bephysically present.

Moreover, the color quality of illumination can have a drastic effect onperceived colors. Most people have had the experience of purchasing anarticle at a store and then discovering that it appears to be acompletely different color when taken home. Colors often appearcompletely different under the cool white fluorescent lighting of moststores than they do under incandescent lighting found in most homes.

There is a great need for a method to simplify the selection andmatching process that presently goes on in the process of interiordecorating. Sample books of wallcovering and other materials areexpensive, cumbersome to use and, as mentioned above, inaccurate, unlessactual samples of all the items are available for side-by-sidecomparison.

There have been a few attempts to utilize modern technology, such aspersonal computers, to improve upon the present system. Typicaltext-oriented databases have been used to simplify the selection problemand to track the expensive and bulky sample books. These systems arebased on written descriptions of pattern structure and color. They allowthe designer or consumer to search the database using a description anddesired color. The program produces a list of possible patterns, alongwith sample book page numbers, so the actual sample can be located. Theprogram also maintains a list of available sample books and who may havechecked them out (rather like a library lending system).

However, such systems do not eliminate expensive and cumbersome samplebooks. All they do is suggest which books should be examined. Asmentioned above, color descriptions are liable to be faulty, so that thesuggested patterns may be useless even if the required sample book isavailable.

Another computer approach is "rendering," in which an image of a roomcan be altered (rendered) by the computer so that the walls, floors, andwindow coverings take on the appearance of desired patterns completewith natural shadows and distortions caused by perspective. Thus, thecomputer can make a room image give the effect of the materials chosenby the designer or the consumer. This is an ideal way to visualize acombination of patterned materials after they have been chosen. However,it does little to narrow down the gigantic number of samples from whichto choose. There is generally no guarantee that the spectral resultswill be accurate. Furthermore, presently-available systems have only alimited universe of patterns from which to chose, since only a fewhundred patterns out of the tens of thousands available are built intothe systems. This means that while the present systems might be good atshowing what a particular class of pattern (i.e., stripped patterns)will look like, they are unable to show the appearance of a particularpattern chosen from the sample books because they can render only thesmall number of patterns actually built into the particular system.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and devicethat makes it easy to make a choice from the many thousands of patternsavailable in decorative materials without having to depend on costly andbulky sample books;

It is an additional object of the present invention to make the choicerapid, as well as easy;

It is a further object of the present invention that the choice is madeusing actual spectral information so that chosen colors match exactly;

It is another object of the present invention that the choice can bemade on several foreground colors as well as a background color of eachpattern;

It is a still further object of the present invention that the choicecan also be based on a general description of pattern type;

It is an additional object of the present invention that a patternchosen by the system can be instantly displayed in a high-resolution,spectrally correct image;

It is another object of the present invention to automatically displaycommercially-available paints that match the spectral characteristics ofthe chosen pattern;

It is a further object of the present invention that chosen patterns aswell as paint colors can be accurately rendered onto actual room images;

It is an additional object of the present invention to provider meanswhereby an accurate spectral reading can be taken of any object so itcan be correctly matched by the system; and

It is a still further object of the present invention that updatescontaining large numbers of new materials can be inexpensively providedto each user within a short time of the materials' availability.

These and other objects are provided by a system in which large numbersof high-resolution, full color images of decorative patterns are storedin a compressed format on an inexpensive medium such as a CD-ROM. Eachpattern is combined with additional information such as style ofpattern, type of material, and other auxiliary information important forselection. Before final compression and storage color information isadded, the patterns are analyzed spectrophotometrically and color valuesfor a background color and up to four foreground colors are determined.Individual colors are referenced to a comprehensive color standardsystem such as the Pantone Textile Color Guide. The Paintone system wasselected because ii contains a large number (1701) of color swatches, iswidely available and widely used, and has a relatively inexpensive paperfan deck available (about $50.00). Other color reference systemsincluding a unique custom system for use only with the present inventioncould be used instead of the Pantone system.

Spectrophotometric color referencing allows the pattern records to berapidly searched on the basis of color, as well as the other informationin the record. Wallpaper patterns, drapery material, floor covering, orpaint can then be rapidly selected on the basis of matching color.Various patterns and paints can be compared side by side on ahigh-resolution computer monitor that has been calibrated to produce anaccurate color image. Finally, the chosen paints and other decoratingmaterials can be rendered onto a room image so that the consumer canview an accurate simulation of the chosen materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed tobe novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Thepresent invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the computer system used with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows steps of preparation of data compilations of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic flow chart of interrelations of modules of theprogram of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic flow chart illustrating sequential operationsof the program of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a Beginner Search "Select Colors" screen thatforms a part of the operations illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a Beginner Search "View Wallpaper Sample" screenwith additional features found only in the Advanced Search shown indotted lines;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a Beginner Search "View Wallpaper Sample" screenof FIG. 6 with an overlapping "Match Paint" screen;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a Beginner Search "Create Room" screen withadditional features found only in the Advanced Search shown in dottedlines;

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an Advanced Search "Select Operations" screenthat forms a part of the operations illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a "Choose Wallpaper Look" screen from anAdvanced General Search;

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a "Search Criteria" screen from an AdvancedDetailed Search; and

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a "Pantone Colors" screen from the AdvancedDetailed Search with overlapping Color Range screen that forms a part ofthe operations illustrated in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the generic principles of the present invention have beendefined herein specifically to provide a system and method for rapidlyselecting arid viewing decorative materials such as wallcoveringmaterials based on spectral characteristics of the materials and a coloraccurate display of the material on a computer monitor.

The example and discussion herein disclose the application of precisioncolor selection through spectrophotometric matching which makes possibleaccurate selection and coordination of multiple related products. Theexample is given in terms of wallpaper which may be cross-referenced tofabrics, window treatments and flooring. However, the basic method ofthe present invention is to accurately store the pattern and color of anobject along with precise color characterizations so that patterns andcolors of the object and related multiple products can be rapidlydisplayed and selected. The present invention is, therefore, alsosuitable for selecting fabrics to be used in manufacturing of clothingand at the same time discovering and selecting other products such asfootwear, belts, accessories and ties that match or coordinate. In thisway entire lines of multiple products can be rapidly specified andordered.

A normal method of selecting and coordinating decorative materials suchas wallcovering materials, floor covering materials, upholstery fabrics,and window treatments is the use of so-called sample books. Typically,distributors of wallpaper or floor coverings annually produce samplebooks showing all of their new patterns. Such sample books containactual samples of each different pattern and usually the "color way"(same pattern in different color combinations) samples for the pattern.The samples may be arranged by color or by pattern type. Usually eachsample book will contain patterns that are related by overall style ortype of typical room use (i.e., kitchen patterns and children's roompatterns). In addition, the sample books contain photographs ofsuggested room designs incorporating the decorative materials sampled bythe book. The sample books also contain other information needed toactually use the decorative material: pattern number, dimensions ofrolls, type of base material, type of adhesive required, washability,cost, availability of coordinated materials, etc.

Naturally the process of producing sample books is very expensive. Notonly do the books entail considerable expense in layout, photography,and printing; the inclusion of actual sample of the wallpapers is quiteexpensive. Each principal manufacturer may have around 15,000 availablepatterns. Since a run of sample books containing only about 100-200samples costs roughly $1 million to produce, the industry-wide cost forsample books is many millions of dollars annually. The distributor ormanufacturers pass the expense to the distributors and the dealers thatactually use the sample books. Because the books are so expensive, somepatterns appear only once in a single sample book. This book may beintended to last as long as the pattern is available. Normally only oneedition of a given sample book is manufactured; when the copies areexhausted, no more will be available. If the book is damaged or lost,then that dealer may be unable to demonstrate a particular pattern.

Due to the expense and bulk of the sample books, many dealers can carryonly a few distributors' lines, and often for only part of the linesthey do carry. Although the current invention is much more than merely areplacement for decorative material sample books, it can and doesoperate a, a replacement and, as such, is subject to many of the qualityconstraints inherent in sample book. That is to say, if the invention isto be used in place of the sample books, it must be capable of providinghigh-resolution images of excellent color fidelity so that the consumeror the designer viewing the image obtains much of the same impressionthey would obtain from viewing the actual material in a sample book. Inaddition, the invention must provide the other information found in thesample book, such as roll size, price, material, and installationinformation.

Modern computer systems are capable of displaying images in highresolution and in full color on an appropriate monitor. However, most ofsuch computer imaging has not been overly concerned with color fidelity.Nevertheless, the present invention has succeeded in producing reliablecolor images with sufficient color fidelity to replace sample books. Theachieving of these results depends on several key items and processes.

First, the specifications of the computer system used to display the endresults are important. There will necessarily be some compromise betweencost and capability of the system. Economic factors and overallavailability dictate the use of an IBM compatible system with adequatememory and hard disc storage. Because color images necessarily involvemassive amounts of data, a microprocessor of high speed is necessary.The speed of economical microprocessors is rapidly increasing; a minimumrequirement for the present invention is a "486" microprocessor. APENTIUM microprocessor operating at at least 60 MHz is preferred. A harddisk of at least 540 MB is preferred. A video adaptor with 2 MB of VRAM(video memory) is preferred. FIG. 1 shows a setup useful in the presentinvention. A system unit (10) contains the microprocessor, hard discdrive, CD-ROM drive (12) and support electronics. A keyboard (14) and amouse (16) are provided for user input. A high-resolution color monitor(18) such as a NEC 17-inch Multi Sync 5FG is preferred. A fan deck (17)of a color reference system is shown with the setup since the user maywish to refer to actual color swatches or check the accuracy of themonitor's display.

Accurate display of color demands a color video board capable ofreproducing a sufficient number of colors. The present inventionrequires the ability to reproduce over 16 million different colors. Thesystem uses a high-resolution monitor that is driven by a 24-bit coloradaptor board which produce an 800×600 pixel image. It is most importantthat the color monitor be properly calibrated so that it can accuratelyreproduce an image. There are a number of different ways to ensureaccurate color imaging. The most complex systems use a photosensitiveprobe that measures a region of the image on the face of the monitor andthen enables automatic or manual adjustment of the monitor.Unfortunately, such devices are complex and expensive. As will bedetailed below, the present invention uses the color reference system tostandardize color information. Therefore, an effective way to checkmonitor calibration is to display a number of fields of color that aresupposed to match swatches of the color reference system. The usersimply holds the required swatches next to the monitor image anddetermines whether they match the imaged colors. If the match is good,then color fidelity of the monitor is deemed to be adequate.

Equally important to ensuring accuracy of the display device is ensuringaccuracy of the data that is to be displayed. That is to say, acorrectly calibrated monitor given inaccurate image data willnecessarily produce an incorrect image. Therefore, the present inventionencompasses a method for ensuring color accuracy of the image data ofthe decorative materials. As a first step, all color monitors used forthe quality control of the image data are rigorously calibrated.Photosensor methods well known in the art are employed to guarantee thatthe monitors will correctly and consistently display the image data.

The image data itself is produced by using a specialized color sensorknown as a scanner, a device that resembles a photocopy machine; flatmaterials to be scanned are placed on a transparent top surface andcovered by a lid. Like the color monitor, the scanner is calibratedbefore use so that it will produce results that are as accurate aspossible. The scanner produces a color bit map of the scanned object.Alternately, when the decorative material cannot fit into the scanner orwhen the object has three-dimensional relief that would be crushed ordistorted by the scanner, a high-resolution television camera can beused to produce a signal from which a color bit map is derived.

The computer is able to display the color bit map data as a full colorimage of the decorative material with sufficient resolution for theconsumer's or designer's purposes. It is possible to produce color bitmaps of several different resolutions. The higher the resolution, thelarger the number of pixels displayed to form the image. An image withconsiderable fine detail will require many pixels to produce an adequatedisplay. On the other hand, a fairly simple pattern can be adequatelydisplayed by a lower resolution bit map which contains fewer pixels. Aswill be discussed below, there are cogent reasons to produce bit maps ofthe lowest possible resolution, because such maps take up less room on amass storage device. Therefore, image data is produced at the lowestresolution that is consistent with a displayed image of adequatequality.

However, the accuracy of the displayed image's color is easily asimportant as the image's resolution. If the system displays an imagewith sufficient resolution to emulate a page in the sample book, but thecolor of the image is incorrect, the displayed image is useless for itsintended purpose.

Errors in the displayed image color have several potential causes.Either the monitor or the scanner may be incorrectly calibrated. Leavingthose causes aside, color imperfections may be caused by the inherentlimitations of either the scanner or the monitor. According to colortheory, it should be possible to reproduce any color by measuringintensity of light representative of the color at three discretewavelengths. The light of these three wavelengths, adjusted to themeasured intensities and mixed, will then duplicate the measured color.

However, the reproduction of a color rarely exactly follows theory.First, no measurement device is able to exactly measure light at anumber of precise wavelengths. Errors in light measurement lead toerrors in color reproduction. Second, the light sources used for colorreproduction (in this case, phosphors in the monitor's screen) rarelyprecisely match the measured wavelengths. This introduces additionalcolor errors into the reproduction process. Third, surfacecharacteristics such as shine or texture often influence the apparentcolor of an object. These factors do not affect spectrophotometricmeasurements in the same way that they affect human color perception.Consequently, measured color and reproduced color may differ fromperceived color.

A good way to overcome the above problems is to make a side-by-sidecomparison between the color image reproduced on the monitor and theactual decorative material from which the color bit map data wasproduced. It is possible to then manipulate the color data so that theimage more closely matches the actual decorative material. During theprocess of assembling the color image data used in the presentinvention, each image is compared with the original material andmanipulated, if necessary, to create optimized color image data.

Color image data that closely or exactly reproduces the image of adecorative material sample is not, in itself, sufficient to effectivelyreplace sample books. As mentioned, sample books are expensive toproduce and to obtain and are bulky and difficult to store. A samplebook may contain 100-200 samples and, in the case of wallpapers, forexample, a given distributor may handle 15,000 or more differentpatterns. Therefore, it is necessary to find some data storage medium tohold a large number of color images; a medium that is small andinexpensive compared to sample books. An ideal medium is the CompactDisc (CD) Read Only Memory (ROM). These small discs are relativelyimmune to damage and can be inexpensively replicated by a mechanicalstamping process somewhat similar to the process that was used toreproduce vinyl sound recording discs.

However, the large size of color bit map image files is too great evenfor the prodigious capacity of the CD-ROM. If full-sized image files arestored on CD-ROM, a given wallpaper distributor's line of products mightrequire some 20 CD-ROMs or more. While this represents a considerableimprovement over sample books, it does produce a rather complexlogistical situation if the products of several different distributorsare to be studied by the consumer or the designer. There are mechanicaldisc changers available which provide automatic access to 16 CD-ROMs.However, if several disc changers are always needed, one starts toapproach the cost and bulk of actual sample books. Therefore, thepresent invention also employs a judicious use of data compressiontechniques to greatly reduce the size of the image files. Compressionmethods such as the JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) standard,which employs a high-frequency truncation of a cosine transform, areused. This and related methods are well known in the art of digitalimaging. Another preferred technique is a Eractal compression method.Currently this method operates too slowly for the present invention. Assoon as hardware improvements increase the speed of fractal compression,that method will probably replace the JPEG method. To be useful in thepresent invention compression techniques should be able to attainscompressions between about 10 and 20 fold or greater.

When image data files are compressed, initial compression of, say, a fewpercent, does not normally result in a significant loss of imagequality. However, as the degree of compression becomes more significant,the quality of the image may be compromised. Depending on the amount offine detail in the original material, serious artifacts develop atdifferent degrees of compression. Therefore, the present inventionemploys different levels of image compression with different imagesusing the largest amount of compression that results in an acceptablefinal image. In addition, various sharpening techniques well known inthe art of digital imaging are used on a case-by-case basis to producean acceptable image with the highest possible degree of compression.This is analogous to the color optimization step. Again, side-by-sidecomparisons are use to produce optimally sharp compressed image files.

The net result of the above-described process is to produce a series ofimage files on a CD-ROM (or other suitable storage medium). These filesproduce accurate detailed color images of sufficient quality to be usedlike a sample book. Furthermore, all of a distributor's line ofwallpaper (often some 15,000 patterns) can be placed on a single disc.However, while such a collection of image files can replace bulky andcumbersome sample books, it may be virtually impossible to use. With aphysical sample book one can at least flip the pages and get a quickidea of content. It is much more difficult to riffle through thecontents of the CD-ROM. An efficient means of using the image files isrequired.

A rather large number of different factors are involved in the choice ofdecorative materials. Certainly, in the case of wallcovering, cost,overall style, availability of coordinating fabrics, base material, andsimilar information can be very significant in making a selection.Similar, yet somewhat different, factors are important in selectingupholstery fabrics, window treatments, or flooring materials. Of course,a predominant factor in any decorating choice is the exact color andpattern image of the material. The image files discussed above containimportant color data, but the question is how can the user access thisinformation?

While most characteristics, such as general style or general pattern,can be reduced to a few words such as "modern" for style and "largefloral" for pattern, it is generally not possible to textually describea color. "Light blue" probably has as many meanings as there areindividuals that use the term. However, as mentioned above, measuringcolor at three discrete wavelengths can provide a universal standard forcolor descriptions. Therefore, accurate color measurements are taken ofthe decorative material so that the colors of the material can bereferred to and searched by repeatable, defined terms. Although thesemeasured color values could be referred to by their mathematical value,that would not help the ordinary user. It is therefore better toreference the measured values to a recognized color reference system.

Color reference systems are used in color printing and other businesseswhere the specification and description of colors is of vitalimportance. These systems typically comprise an arrangement of coloredswatches in a fan deck or a book logically arranged into color familiesaccording to hue and saturation. If a sufficient number of swatches areincluded in the reference system, virtually any color can be matched.Then any person with access to a copy of the reference system can lookup a given swatch number and see how the original color appeared.Although there are numerous reference systems commercially available,the Pantone Textile Color Guide is a good choice for use with thepresent invention. The Pantone system has 1701 different swatches in aset, thus allowing virtually any color to be matched.

Most decorative materials have a single background color combined withseveral different foreground colors to define the material's pattern. Inthe present invention, the background color and the four most prominentforeground colors are measured from actual samples of each decorativematerial, and the measurements are used to derive the Pantone colorsclosest to the actual colors of the decorative material. In theory,these measurements could be derived from the color bit map data, sincethe scanner produces its output by measuring the reflection of lightfrom the decorative material at three different wavelengths.

In actual practice, however, normal color scanners do not make theirmeasurements with sufficient accuracy and wavelength precision to givetruly accurate measurements at three wavelengths. A scanner withsufficient accuracy would probably be prohibitively expensive andmechanically cumbersome as well. Therefore, an accurate reflectancespectrophotometer, such as one produced in Switzerland by Greytag (ModelNo. SPM-50 or SPM-55), is used to manually measure color spectra of fourmillimeter-diameter spots on the sample of the decorative material.Output data from the spectrophotometer is routed to a computer whichdisplays the measured color as an XYZ color triangle. The computermemory also contains the XYZ values for all of the Pantone referencecolors. A least mean square computation is performed to find the Pantonecolors that have the closest XYZ values to the measured colors from thedecorative material. Pantone colors are then assigned to the foregroundand background portions based on the measured colors.

After the color measurements and Pantone assignment has been made, thefollowing is available for each sample of decorative material: acompressed image file, Pantone reference colors for the material'sbackground color and for the four most prominent foreground colors, andauxiliary information that may vary depending on the type of thedecorative material. Table 1 shows the preferred categories of auxiliaryinformation for wallcoverings, Table 2 for upholstery fabrics, Table 3for window treatments, and Table 4 for flooring materials. Virtually anydecorative material in which color and pattern are important attributesis amenable to the scanning and color determining process describedabove. Different types of decorative materials would probably haveslightly different lists of auxiliary information.

Most of the entries in Tables 1-4 are self-explanatory. Both distributorand manufacturer are listed because in some cases a distributor willselect only some of a manufacturer's patterns while another distributorselects other patterns of the same manufacturer. Thus, related patternsfrom on manufacturer may be found in separate sample books fromdifferent distributors. Conversely, a given pattern may be availablesimultaneously from several distributors. Also, some manufacturers actas distributors. These relationships can be deduced from theManufacturer and Distributor entries.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        WALLCOVERING INFORMATION                                                      ______________________________________                                                 Distributor                                                                   Book Name                                                                     Page Number                                                                   Border Indicator                                                              Square Footage                                                                Pattern Match                                                                 Coordinating Papers                                                           Color Ways                                                                    Pattern                                                                       Comments                                                                      Manufacturer                                                                  Pattern Number                                                                Cost                                                                          Pattern Repeat                                                                Material                                                                      Coordinating Fabric and Cost                                                  Coordinating Borders                                                          Style                                                                         Room                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2                                                         ______________________________________                                        FABRIC INFORMATION                                                            ______________________________________                                                  Distributor                                                                   Book Name                                                                     Cost                                                                          Width                                                                         Pattern Match                                                                 Color Ways                                                                    Pattern                                                                       Manufacturer                                                                  Pattern Number/Name                                                           Pattern Repeat                                                                Material/Construction                                                         Coordinating Fabric and                                                       Cost                                                                          Style                                                                         Comments                                                            ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                         ______________________________________                                        WINDOW INFORMATION                                                            ______________________________________                                                  Distributor                                                                   Pattern Number/Name                                                           Material                                                                      Pattern                                                                       Style                                                                         Manufacturer                                                                  Cost                                                                          Color Ways                                                                    Room                                                                          Type                                                                ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 4                                                         ______________________________________                                        FLOORING INFORMATION                                                          ______________________________________                                                  Distributor                                                                   Pattern Number/Name                                                           Material/Construction                                                         Background Color                                                              Type                                                                          Specifications                                                                Manufacturer                                                                  Cost                                                                          Color Ways                                                                    Style                                                                         Size                                                                ______________________________________                                    

The "Style" entry and the "Pattern" entries are designed to providebrief textual descriptions of the decorative material to aid inselection and categorization. For example, wallcoverings can be dividedinto three style categories: "traditional," "contemporary," and"transitional." In addition, the pattern can be further broken downdescriptively into the categories and subcategories shown in Table 5. Ofcourse, most of this auxiliary information is not fully objective likethe color description and the image files. That is to say, many otherequally useful descriptive terms could be used as long as they aid theuser to winnow down the number of possible choices.

                  TABLE 5                                                         ______________________________________                                        DETAILED PATTERN DESCRIPTION FOR WALLCOVERINGS                                PATTERN          SUBPATTERN                                                   ______________________________________                                        Abstract                                                                      Animals/Birds/Fish                                                            Architectural                                                                 Bows/Ribbon's                                                                 Braids/Rope/Tassels                                                           Brush Strokes/Splatter                                                        Children's       Alphabet/Numbers                                                              Animals/Birds/Fish                                                            Balloons                                                                      Bows and Ribbons                                                              Cartoon Characters                                                            Cowboys/Indians                                                               Circus/Carnival                                                               Florals                                                                       Misc/Other                                                                    Plaids/Stripes/Checks                                                         Polka Dot/Hearts/Geometrics                                                   Rainbows/Clouds/Sun/Stars                                                     Sports                                                                        Storybook Themes                                                              Teddy Bears                                                                   Toys                                                                          Trains/Cars/Planes                                           Cultural Prints                                                               Damask/Jacquard                                                               Directional                                                                   Faux Finishes                                                                 Flame Stitch                                                                  Floral-Miniature All Over Pattern                                                              Baskets/Bouquets                                                              Birds and Florals                                                             Ribbons and Florals                                                           Stylized                                                                      Trailing                                                                      Other                                                        Floral-Small     All Over Pattern                                                              Baskets/Bouquets                                                              Birds and Florals                                                             Ribbons and Florals                                                           Stylized                                                                      Trailing                                                                      Other                                                        Floral-Large     All Over Pattern                                                              Baskets/Bouquets                                                              Birds and Florals                                                             Ribbons and Florals                                                           Stylized                                                                      Trailing                                                                      Other                                                        Floral-Stripes   Large                                                                         Small                                                                         Miniature                                                    Foliage                                                                       Geometrics                                                                    Historical Prints                                                             Imitation Finishes                                                            Lace                                                                          Lattice                                                                       Moire                                                                         Motif-Large                                                                   Motif-Small                                                                   Murals                                                                        Oriental                                                                      Paisley                                                                       Plaids                                                                        Scroll Work                                                                   Shells                                                                        Silks                                                                         Southwest                                                                     Special Effects                                                               Sports                                                                        Stencils                                                                      Stone/Stucco/Stipple                                                          String-Solid Colors                                                           Stripes                                                                       Suede                                                                         Swags                                                                         Textured                                                                      Themes           Books                                                                         Coats of Arms                                                                 Hearts                                                                        Houses/Buildings                                                              Landscapes                                                                    Misc/Other                                                                    Nautical                                                                      Newsprint/Recipes/Text                                                        Sun/Stars/Clouds                                             Vegetables/Fruit                                                              Woods                                                                         Woven                                                                         ______________________________________                                    

For each image file, the color information and the auxiliaryinformation, including style and pattern descriptions, are combined intoa compact database storage format and placed on the CD-ROM along withthe image files. See FIG. 2 for a flow chart summary of the entireprocess. In actual practice the database is stored and used on the harddisc of the computer system. When a new CD-ROM is added to the system,the database information on the CD-ROM is appended onto a workingdatabase on the hard disc. The hard disc database covering all availablewallpaper patterns (over 100,000 patterns) is less than 100 megabytes insize.

                  TABLE 6                                                         ______________________________________                                        COMPANY TABLE                                                                 ______________________________________                                                    Book                                                                          Distributor                                                                   Manufacturer                                                                  Roll Area                                                                     Trim                                                                          Directory *                                                                   Comments                                                          ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 7                                                         ______________________________________                                        BOOK TABLE                                                                    ______________________________________                                                    Directory *                                                                   Page                                                                          Pattern Number                                                    ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 8                                                         ______________________________________                                        PAPER COLOR TABLE                                                             ______________________________________                                                    Pattern Number *                                                              Pantone Page                                                                  Pantone Index                                                     ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 9                                                         ______________________________________                                        PAPER TABLE                                                                   ______________________________________                                                Pattern Number *                                                              Pattern Repeat                                                                Material                                                                      Cost Code                                                                     Style                                                                         Pattern Type                                                                  Subpattern Type                                                               Room                                                                          Match                                                                         Border Page                                                                   Matching Fabric                                                               Matching Fabric Cost                                                          Background Color Pantone Page                                                 Background Color Pantone Index                                                Image Resolution                                                              Comments                                                              ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 10                                                        ______________________________________                                        COORDINATED PAPER                                                             ______________________________________                                                 Pattern Number *                                                              Coordinated Pattern Number                                           ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 11                                                        ______________________________________                                        PANTONE COLOR TABLE                                                           ______________________________________                                                    Color ID                                                                      Color Name                                                                    Pantone Page                                                                  Pantone Index                                                                 R                                                                             G                                                                             B                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

The database of the present invention comprises a relational databasemade up of multiple separate tables of information. A Database Engine,discussed below, is able to relate the tables together to make complexsearches. Table 6 shows a Company table for the database. Table 7 showsa Book table. Table 8 shows a Paper Color table. Table 9 shows a masterPaper table for wallpaper. Table 10 shows a Coordinated Paper table ofcoordinated papers. Table 11 shows a Pantone table of Pantone colors.The asterisked item in each table indicates an item for which theDatabase Engine constructs a key to facilitate relational joining oftables.

Although only the tables for wallpaper are demonstrated, all otherdecorative materials have similar homologous tables. The system is builtaround two basic factors: (1) the reference colors (Pantone colors), and(2) the Directory which represents the CD-ROM directory in which thecolor image file is stored. Most of the tables can be interrelated byway of the sample books. Table 6 shows that each sample book has its ownDirectory which is the actual physical location of the book's image datafiles on the CD-ROM. A Distributor and Manufacturer are listed for eachBook as well as Roll Area and Trim information for the materials in thebook. A Comment entry allows space for other information.

Table 6 can be related to Table 7 through the Directory key. In Table 7a sample book Page number is given for each Pattern Number. The PatternNumber is, then, the major organizing principle for the individualwallpaper samples; even the file names of the color image data in theDirectory can be derived from the Pattern Number. Table 9 gives thestructure of the Wallpaper information table. This table is keyed onPattern Number so it can be easily related to Paper Color (Table 8) andCoordinated Paper (Table 10). The Paper table contains all theinformation about each Pattern Number including Pattern and Sub patterntypes (see Table 5). In addition, a Background Color is specified in thePantone Textile Color Guide as a Page Number in the guide and an Indexposition (i.e., one through seven) on the page.

The foreground colors for each Pattern Number are given in Table 8 as afunction of Pantone Page and Pantone Index. A Pantone Color Table (Table11) allows the system to construct and display Pantone Colors for searchpurposes (explained below). In addition, any wallpaper with a givenPantone color can be located by searching the Paper Color table byPantone Page and Pantone Index. Table 11 gives a Color ID Number andColor Name as well as the Pantone Page and Pantone Index for each color.So that the colors can be properly displayed, the RGB (Red, Green, Blue)values for each color are stored in the table. Each time a Pantone coloris displayed, the system fetches this value for the particular color anddisplays the color.

FIG. 2 summarizes the steps of sample data production. To review: thecolor image data is generated by scanning a sample usually with ascanner (Scan Image step 200). Before the scan image step 200 can occur,there must be a Monitor Calibration step (204) and a Scanner Calibrationstep (206). It is also necessary to prepare the sample by selecting anundamaged portion of the sample that contains a complete pattern repeat(Sample Preparation 202). After the color image data is produced by theScan Image step (200), the image is corrected electronically (ComputerColor Correction 210) and checked by side-by-side comparison andmanually corrected if needed (Human QC 220). An archive copy of the datais made and stored for future use (Archive Image 230). Areas of thesample are then measured with a spectrophotometer (Measure Sample ColorSpectrum 240) to create color descriptive data (i.e., reference systemequivalents of sample colors). At the same time, all the auxiliaryinformation about the sample is collected and cross-referenced(Classify/Coordinate Cross Reference 250). The image files are thencompressed and corrected as necessary (Batch Compress 260). The dataabout the sample is then entered into the database (Enter Data 270).Finally, the database data and the image data are integrated and theresults are checked to be certain that the correct pattern data iscombined with the correct database data (QC Image 280). Finally, thecombined pattern and database data are written onto a master CD-ROM(Record CD ROM 290). The master ROM is then sent to a manufacturingplant where inexpensive copies are made.

Now that the process of preparing and assembling the data has beendescribed, it is possible to detail how the present invention uses theassembled data to replace cumbersome and expensive sample books. Anobject of the present invention is to replace old-fashioned sample booksin a way that not only saves money and storage space, but is also moreeffective and efficient than the traditional method. Database softwareis used to search through the mass of data and select items that matchcertain predetermined criteria.

In the case of the wallcovering data discussed above, the consumer mightask for wallpaper with a large floral pattern of red (Pantone color) ona white background (Pantone color). These colors would have beenselected by viewing the Pantone fan deck or by using the deck to matchthe color of some furniture intended to occupy the room being decorated.Database software can be extremely powerful. Use of relational databasesoftware makes all possible interrelationships of various types ofinformation easy to explore. However, the database is only as useful asthe quality of the questions (queries) put to it. If the exactly correctquery syntax and format is not followed, the results of the databasesearch may be useless.

Most consumers and interior designer are not computer literate and mighthave problems operating a more traditional computer system. Therefore,the present invention employs a Graphical User Interface (GUI) whereitems can be selected and activated by simply pointing at graphicalrepresentations on the display screen. Pointing is carried out with amouse, touch screen or other input device. The present invention usesthe GUI interface to make it relatively easy for the user to constructconsistent and reliable queries for embedded database software withoutany knowledge of databases.

The system comprises a number of software modules which are coordinatedand overlaid by a GUI Management module. The GUI module is responsiblefor all interaction with the user and interaction between computerdevices (i.e., hard disc drives and CD-ROM drives) and software modules.Many of these functions are carried out by operating system software.The embodiment demonstrated below uses a Windows/DOS operating system,but the system could be implemented by any GUI operating system such asthe MACINTOSH operating system. The software modules have been writtenin either high-level languages like C or Visual Basic or directly inassembler depending on the execution speed required of the module.

FIG. 3 shows the major functional grouping of the software modules (most3submodules not illustrated) and the data paths between them. A GUIManagement module (300) is central and mediates between most of theother modules. It also is linked to the computer system's hardwarethrough the operating system (linkage not shown). GUI Management 300comprises several interrelated submodules: User I/O Management, VisualTools Management, Video Management, Help Management and SoundManagement.

User I/O Management controls the user input devices such as the keyboardand the mouse. This system ensures that the keyboard is operational onlywhen its input is proper. The system also ensures that the position ofthe mouse-driven cursor and any mouse clicks are passed to theappropriate software module.

Visual Tools Management and Video Management work together to presentthe correct visual interface to the user. Responding to information fromother modules the Video Management creates arid displays the appropriatescreen. Visual tools such as a mouse cursor are displayed and moved bythe Visual Tools Management module.

Help Management and Sound Management work together to provide acontextual help system for the user. That is, the particular helpmessage printed on the screen (or spoken by means of the SoundManagement) are responsive to the particular screen or task in which theuser is involved.

Because the system is intended to replace sample books with a rapidsearch of the CD-ROM images, it is important that the system always beaware of which ROMs are available (i.e., which distributor's lines areavailable) and, since the type of auxiliary information differs fordifferent types of decorative materials, what types of decorativematerials are represented by the available CD-ROMs. Also, it is possiblethat different installations of the system will be designated to workwith particular type material; i.e., a given site might be designated asa wallcovering-only site and the system will, therefore, refuse toutilize CD-ROMs containing fabric or other nonwallcovering data. Allthese functions are carried out by the Configuration Mode Management.The Configuration Mode Management module (302) is comprised of severalinterrelated submodules: Product Type Management, Program CapabilitiesManagement, Product Attributes Management, and Product AvailabilityManagement.

Product Type Management configures the operation of the system for aparticular product type (i.e., wall-coverings) selected by the user.This submodule works with Program Capabilities Management which dictateswhich product types are available for the user to choose (ProgramConfigurations 304). As mentioned above, different products havedifferent types of auxiliary information (attributes), and theappropriate attributes (Available Product Data 300) are sent by aProduct Attributes Management submodule to the GUI Management module toappear in user screens. Product Availability keeps track of whichdistributor line (i.e., which CD-ROMs) have been installed in thesystem. This submodule automatically switches in the correct ROM if aROM changer or multiple ROM drives are available. Otherwise the ProductAvailability Management module causes a screen message to displayrequesting that the user physically insert the correct CD-ROM.

The searching aspects of the system are handled by a Database ManagementModule 308. This module interfaces between the rest of the system andthe database of pattern, style, color, and auxiliary attributes. TheDatabase Management Module 308 contains a number of submodules: theDatabase Engine, Query Generation Management, and Database RecordRetrieval and Formulating. The actual searches are performed by aDatabase Engine. This software submodule is available, off-the-shelf,from Quad Base Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif. The Database Engine manages afully relational database in a multi-tasking mode and responds to SQL(Structured Query Language), a standard database language. A QueryGeneration Management module takes the user's responses from the varioususer screens (described below) and transforms the information into anappropriate SQL query (Product Search Criteria 310). The SQL query ispassed to a Query Execution Management submodule that runs the query onthe database engine and properly traps and responds to any error orother messages from the Engine. After search results are produced, aDatabase Record Retrieval and Formulating module retrieves, decodes andformats the correct record(s) (Available Matching Products 312) so thatthe GUI Management module can properly display the results.

A powerful feature of the present invention is that it enables the userto search for decorative materials on the basis of Pantone color, aswell as style, patterns, and other auxiliary attributes. That is, adatabase containing hundreds of thousands of decorative materials can berapidly searched for any of the above items, separately or incombination. Most of the search items are relatively straightforward,and some are known in the prior art. However, prior art methods have noteven attempted to ensure accurate color display and do not allowsearching on the basis of spectrophotoinetric measurements and colorreference systems.

A Color Operation Management module 318 controls much of the specializedcolor ability of the present invention. This module also containsseveral submodules: Palette Database Retrieval, Color Correlated Search,Matching Paint Management, Physical Color Measurement Input, and ColorPrint Management. When the user wishes to search on the basis of color,a color palette of Pantone colors is presented so that a preferred coloror color range can be chosen. To display the Pantone palette a PaletteDatabase Retrieval submodule queries the database for RGB values (ColorData 314) of a portion of the Pantone palette to be displayed (ColorData Presentation 316) through the GUI Management module 300. A ColorCorrelated Search module takes the color(s) (Color Selection 320)selected by the user and formulates an appropriate database query fromthem based on the Pantone reference numbers. The Search module alsoimplements "relaxed" color searches, which allow the user to searchautomatically for all or part of the Pantone pages surrounding a givenselected color.

The Color Operation Management module 318 also controls severalspecialized color functions. A Matching Paint Management module searchesthe database for "corresponding" paints that match or fall close to theselected color. The paint search may readily be limited to certain paintmanufacturers. Although the search for paint color is preferably carriedout by using the selected Pantone color (that is, matching paints have aPantone color very close to the selected Pantone color), the databasecontains actual measured XYZ color values for paints. When paint chipsare displayed, the RGB colors calculated from measured XYZ values aredisplayed so that the user can appreciate any slight deviation of thepaint from the Pantone reference colors. A Physical Color MeasurementInput submodule allows a color search to be conducted from an actualmeasurement, with a portable calorimeter, of some article that the userwishes to match (i.e., Grandma's brocaded chair). Finally, a Color PrintManagement submodule makes necessary conversions from the monitor's RGBcolor space into an appropriate color space of a color printer toproduce accurate color prints of the monitor display on the colorprinter.

After a search based on color, pattern, style, or auxiliary attributes,the located decorative materials must be displayed as an accurate colorimage on the monitor to allow side-by-side comparison of materials,thereby facilitating a choice of a preferred material. Such displayingis controlled by an Image Management module 330. As explained above, thedatabase used for the search is physically located on the hard disc ofthe computer. Each sample record in the database points to the actualImage File 332 of the decorative material. The image files are locatedin a compressed format on the CD-ROM. A Database Image Managementsubmodule obtains the requested image files (User Image Control 328)from the CD-ROM. The files are read from the ROM and rapidlydecompressed by a Rapid Image Display submodule, which is a specialhigh-speed decompression program provided by a third-party vendor, XingTechnology, Arroyo Grande, Calif. A Variable Resolution Managementsubmodule takes into account whatever resolution was used to produce thechosen image file and scales it appropriately for display (imagepresentation) on the computer monitor.

Once the search process has produced a number of possible choices ofdecorative materials, the system can provide an image of a typical roomon which the computer can "paint" or "render" the decorative materials.This function is provided by a Render/V-isualization Management module340. This module contains a Render Scene Management submodule (RoomScene Descriptions 342), which allows the user to search through over200 room scenes to select a room most like the room to be decorated.Each room image has been prepared for rendering, in advance, byconstructing a "wire frame" model that indicates the orientation of eachsurface in the room image for correct rendering of the decorativematerials. Alternatively, the user can operate a Scene Object Generationsubmodule, which allows total control of the wire frame model. Wall andwindows and other aspects of room organization can be quickly reorientedas the user desires. The model room can be rotated so it can be viewedfrom all possible angles.

The selected decorative material images from the CD-ROM are scaled andconverted into a special format by a Render Material Managementsubmodule 346, which passes the converted patterns to a Rendering Enginesubmodule provided by a third-party vendor, Micro System Options,Seattle, Wash. The Rendering Engine takes the selected decorativematerials (wallcovering, floor covering, upholstery, and windowtreatments), renders them onto the selected room image, and sends theresults (Scene Presentation 344) to the GTJI Management module 300. Theend result is a room image that shows the selected materials installedwith correct perspective and shading. It is possible to change the roomlighting from daylight to evening to see how the room appears atdifferent times of the day. The rendering process is, rapid (less thanone minute), so it is possible to produce a large number of rooms, eachone with a different combination of decorative materials.

EXAMPLE

Now that the overall structure and functioning of the system has beenexplained, an actual example will be demonstrated step by step so thatthe present invention can be easily understood. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the system function that will help a reader to understand theoperations of the system. After a Start Screen 400 in which the system'sname and manufacturer is displayed, a "Beginner Search" screen 402 isdisplayed. This screen is intended for use by ordinary consumers, asopposed to interior designers, and, hence, does not offer as manyoptions to the user. An "Advanced Search" screen 404, which offers moreflexibility and options, is also available and will be described below.As mentioned above, a major purpose of many of the screens is to gatherinformation for the automatic formulation of a query for searching thedatabase for materials that fit the user's criteria. The first BeginnerSearch screen offers choices of three decorative materials types thatthe user can search: Wallpaper, Flooring, and Window Treatments.

Most of the system functions are common to all material types; however,wallpaper offers more options and, hence, will be used for the example.After wallpaper has been selected, the system asks for a Style choice406. The available choices are Traditional, Contemporary or NoPreference (both Traditional and Contemporary). Next the user is askedto select a pattern type 408. The possible pattern choices are shown inTable 5. The user may choose any one pattern type or No Preference toaccept any pattern type.

After selecting a pattern, the user is presented with a "Select Colors"Screen 410. This screen (FIG. 5) allows the user to choose up to 4foreground colors of a palette 550 of 28 color swatches organized as 14lighter shades 504 and 14 darker shades 506. The 28 swatches 500represent a condensed version of the 1701 Pantone colors. When a color502 is selected, it is labeled "Match" and the complete range of colorsrepresented by that swatch are displayed in a rectangle 512 below theswatches. An "Any/All" button 508 gives the user a choice of either"All," meaning that all of the colors selected must be present in thedecorative material for it to be selected by the search, or "Any,"meaning that a material will be selected if it contains any of theselected colors. Leaving the Select Colors Screen by means of the NextStep button 510 causes the Database Engine to execute the search queryconstructed from the user's choices.

If the search is successful, a "View Wallpaper Samples" screen 412 (seeFIG. 6) is displayed. The left-hand portion of the screen displays afull color image 602 of the first wallpaper sample that fits the searchcriteria. This image may be enlarged by selecting a "Magnify" button 604on the lower right part of the screen. The right-hand portion of thescreen displays information about the sample extracted from thedatabase. The pattern number 606, distributor 608, book name 610, pagenumber in book 654, and retail price 656 of the item are given. Inaddition, the four Pantone foreground colors 612 are displayed withtheir Pantone designations 614, as well as the Pantone background color616 and its designation 618.

The style 620, pattern type 622, and recommended room type 624 are alsolisted. A "More Info" button 626 gives access to another screen (notshown) that lists additional information about the sample, includingsquare footage of a roll, pattern match and repeat, material type,border information, coordinate information, manufacturer, and optionalcomments. The View Wallpaper Samples screen 412 also shows how manysamples (628) were found by the search and contains "Arrow" buttons 630to move from one sample to the next. When the displayed sample 602 isparticularly suitable, the user may "mark" it for later use by"clicking" on the sample with the mouse. Status 632 of the sample 602indicates whether the sample has been marked for later use. A "CalculateRolls" button 634 gives access to a calculation screen 414 (screen notillustrated) where the cost and number of rolls of wallpaper needed arerapidly calculated after the user inputs dimensions of a room that is tobe wallpapered. A "Coordinate" button 636 shows a coordinated imagesscreen 416 (screen not illustrated) of any coordinated wallpapers orborders that the manufacturer or distributor has designated. These mayalso be marked for later use.

A "Paint" button 638 calls up a paint matching window 418 (FIG. 7) wherea "Match Paint" button 702 finds paints 706 that match the colors of anysample that has been marked for later use. An "Arrow" button 708 allowsthe user to cycle through the marked samples. Matching paints aredisplayed according to paint manufacturer 712 (Select Paint Brand button710). The user is shown a color swatch 714 for each matching paint,along with the paint name 716, the manufacturer's number 718, and thepage number 720 in the manufacturer's book. The paint swatches 714 thatare displayed are produced from data derived from actualspectrophotoinetric measurement of actual paint chips. However, thematch is made on the basis of the Pantone colors found in the markedsample. Just as the actual decorative material sample colors wereassociated with the closest Pantone color through a mean least squaresfitting procedures, the individual paints are each associated with theclosest Paintone color and paints whose Pantone color matches thePantone colors of the sample are selected. The user is also able toselect a "Coord Paint" button 704 rather than the "Match Paint" button702. Coordinated paints are those paints that have hue (color) in commonwith the matched paints but have a different level of saturation (i.e.,either lighter or darker). This alternative gives the user a wider rangeof possible paints from which to choose. Any of the displayed paints 714can be "marked" for later use.

Finally, the user can also choose a "Room Settings" button 640. Thistakes the user to a "Render Room Scene" screen 420 (FIG. 8). The user isable to select a typical furnished room ("Previous Scene" 802 and "NextScene" 804 buttons) from a portfolio of several hundred rooms. The useris expected to select a room scene similar in appearance to the roomthat is to be decorated with the marked decorative samples. The userthen selects one ("Arrow" button 806) of the marked decorative samplesand/or paints ("Paint" button 808) and indicates where they should beplaced in the room (i.e., borders at the top or middle of the walls, andwallpaper or paint on primary wall surfaces) by clicking on that region.The system then renders ("Render" button 810) the paint or wallpaperonto the room image 812 so that the user can see how the selectedmaterial(s) might actually look in use. Buttons allow control of bordersat the top 816, middle 814, and bottom 818 of walls in the imaged roomscene 812.

Besides the Beginner Search 402 that has just been explained, the systemalso provides an Advanced Search 404 for use by interior decorators andother design experts. This search uses virtually the same tools as theBeginner Search 402, but allows a greater latitude of a choices andcontrols for the more sophisticated user. The Advanced Search 404 firstallowed; the user to select decorative material type (Select Material426) (Product Categories 902) for the search from wallpaper 904, windowtreatments 906, floor covering 908, fabrics 910, and paints 912. Forthis example, wallpaper will again be used. The user is shown a "SelectOperations" screen 404 (FIG. 9) that displays, in addition to ProductCategories 902, a choice of search types: General Search 428 (button928), Detailed Search 430 (button 930), Browse Book 422 (button 922),and Pattern ID 424 (button 924). Browse Book 922 allows the user to"open" a sample book by selecting the book's title and to page throughthe book and view the decorative material on each page. For each sampleviewed, controls similar to those discussed for FIG. 6 are available.There are also some new options available which will be discussed below.Pattern ID 924 allows the user to view (as in FIG. 6) any pattern byentering the manufacturer's pattern number.

Selecting the General Search 928 reveals a master selection screen"Choose Wallpaper Look" 432 (FIG. 10) that combines several of thescreens of the Beginner Search. The screen contains buttons that allowchoice of "Style" 434 and "Pattern" 436 as in the Beginner Search. Inaddition, a preferred room type 438, such as "kitchen," is alsoselectable. The screen's color selection palette 550 with 28 possiblechoices is identical to the palette 550 in FIG. 5 of the BeginnerSearch. When all the selection criteria have been made, a "Show Samples"button 1002 causes the system to search for samples that fit thecriteria. Any matching samples are displayed in a "View Samples" screen440 very similar to FIG. 6 of the Beginner Search 402.

The Detailed Search button 430 causes an advanced "Search Criteria"screen 442 (FIG. 11) to be displayed. This screen allows selection ofStyle 434, Pattern 436, and Room 438 just like in the General Search402. The user is also able to make a border selection 1108: wallpaperonly 1110 (no borders), borders only 1112, or wallpaper and borders1114. In addition, this screen allows the user to choose the sample book1122 ("Arrow" button 1118) and the distributor of the wallpaper("Distributor" button 1120), as well as a Cost setting 1124 (slider) forselecting a minimum or maximum cost limit for the wallpaper search.

A palette for color selection is much more complex in the AdvancedSearch 404. When a "Colors" button 1126 is selected, a "Pantone Colors"screen 446 (FIG. 12), which duplicates the Pantone Textile Color Guide,is revealed. The Color Guide comprises 1701 different color swatchesarranged on 243 pages in a fan deck with each page displaying sevencolor swatches arranged in order of increasing saturation. The Guide isdivided into three separate color families: Clean and Bright Colors,Muted and Dull Colors, and Earth Tones. It is possible to choose, any ofthese families (menu 1202). The screen then displays a plurality ofswatches 1204, one swatch, along with its Pantone number 1218, from eachpage of the Guide organized in order of ascending pages. Each colorfamily can be displayed in "All Shades" mode 1206, where the displayedswatch is the middle swatch on each Pantone page; in "Lighter Shades"mode 1208, where the displayed swatch is the next to the lightest switchon the page; or in "Darker Shades" mode 1210, where the displayed swatchis the next to the darkest swatch. Moving the mouse cursor over theswatches causes the Pantone page number 1212 to display so that the usercan easily look the color up in the Pantone deck.

Selecting one of the color swatches causes the entire Pantone page toappear in a separate window (not shown) so that any of the seven colorson that page can be selected. A range of colors (menu 1214) may also beselected for a search. The range may include colors on one, three, orfive pages (menu 1216) on either side of the displayed color. In theLighter Shades mode, the range includes only the lightest two swatchesof each page in the range. In the Darker Shades mode, only the darkestfive swatches in each page are included in the range. The range for aparticular color can be displayed in a separate "Color Range" window1220 that appears over the Pantone Color Screen 446 so that the user caneasily visualize the color range that will be searched). The userselects up to four foreground colors and one background color (button1224) before returning (menu 1222) to the Search Criteria Screen 442(FIG. 11).

Selecting the "Show Samples" button 1122 causes the search to beperformed, and the first found sample displays on a View WallpaperSample screen 440 which is almost identical to the View Wallpaper Samplescreen 412 of the Beginner Search 402 (see FIG. 6, the Advanced Searchfeatures are shown in dotted line). A "Color Ways" button 662 shows anycolor ways, that is, the same pattern in different colors, for theselected sample. There is also a "Compare" button 642 that allows theuser to place up to four selected samples in separate movable windowsand view them side by side (not illustrated). A "Go to Record" button644 allows the user to instantly move to any marked sample.

The "Room Settings" button 640 is identical to the Room Setting screenin the Beginner Search 402 (see FIG. 8). However, the Advance SearchRoom Settings screen 450 has several additional features which are shownin dotted line in FIG. 8. It is now possible to change the height of thewall borders (button 830), and new buttons 832 allow the user to renderon only one wall of the room at a time. In addition, a "Computer Only"button 834 makes it possible to view a simplified "computer" sketch 452(not illustrated) of the room which can then be easily reoriented sothat the user can view the room from any possible angle and even addcustom window treatments to the room. This additional flexibility makesthe Advanced version 450 of the Room Settings screen more powerful.

As can be appreciated, both the Beginner Search 402 and the AdvancedSearch 404 behave in essentially the same manner and rely upon the sameunderlying functions in the device. However, the Advanced Search 404allows the user control over a wider range of parameters so that moresophisticated searching and visualization can take place. Of specialimportance is the Pantone "Colors" screen 446, which comprises anelegant way to present the entire range of Pantone colors and to searchfor samples on the basis of exact color matches or on the basis ofvariable color ranges, each range encompassing the colors of severaladjacent pages of the Pantone Textile Color Guide. Any enterpriseinvolving the selection of materials where pattern and color areimportant can be readily adapted to the present advantage. The use ofvarious fabrics in the apparel business is particularly well suited tothe present invention; however, other similar examples will occur tothose of ordinary skill in the art.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that variousadaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodimentcan be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope ofthe appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than asspecifically described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for searching decorative materialssamples using a computer, comprising the steps of:(a) managing adatabase storing images of the decorative materials samples, color imagedata and color descriptive data regarding the decorative materialssamples, and also storing textual descriptions of the decorativematerials samples, wherein the color image data is derived from scanninga plurality of decorative materials samples with a color sensor, thecolor descriptive data is derived from analyzing selected regions ofeach sample with a spectrophotometer, and the color image data for eachsample is coordinated with the color descriptive data for the samesample; and (b) searching the database to identify a subset of thedecorative materials samples having data in common with a user selectionof color from a color reference system, and also corresponding to a userselection of textual descriptions.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thetextual descriptions of the decorative materials samples include styleand pattern characteristics of the decorative materials samples.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the color descriptive data are expressed interms of a color reference system.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thestep of searching the database includes comparing the spectrophotometricmeasurements expressed in terms of the color reference system to theselection of color from the color reference system.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the images of thesubset of the decorative materials samples on a display connected to thecomputer.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the database further storespaint search data and the database identifies paint that coordinateswith the identified subset of decorative materials samples based on thecolor reference system.
 7. An apparatus for searching decorativematerials samples, comprising:(a) a computer; (b) means, performed bythe computer, for managing a database containing images of thedecorative materials samples, color image data and color descriptivedata regarding the decorative materials samples, and also containingtextual descriptions of the decorative materials samples, wherein thecolor image data is derived from scanning a plurality of decorativematerials samples with a color sensor, the color descriptive data isderived from analyzing selected regions of each sample with aspectrophotometer, and the color image data for each sample iscoordinated with the color descriptive data for the same sample; (c)means, performed by the computer, for searching the database to identifya subset of the decorative materials samples containing at least data incommon with a user selection of color from a color reference system, andalso corresponding to a user selection of textual descriptions.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the textual descriptions of the decorativematerials samples include style and pattern characteristics of thedecorative materials samples.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein thecolor descriptive data are expressed in terms of a color referencesystem.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for searchingthe database includes means for comparing the spectrophotometricmeasurements expressed in terms of the color reference system to theselection of color from the color reference system.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 7, further comprising means for displaying the images of thesubset of the decorative materials samples on a display connected to thecomputer.
 12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the database furtherstores paint search data and the database identifies paint thatcoordinates with the identified subset of decorative materials samplesbased on the color reference system.
 13. An article of manufacturecomprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer andembodying one or more computer programs executable by the computer toperform a method of searching decorative materials samples, the methodcomprising the steps of:(a) managing a database storing images of thedecorative materials samples, color image data and color descriptivedata regarding the decorative materials samples, and also storingtextual descriptions of the decorative materials samples, wherein thecolor image data is derived from scanning a plurality of decorativematerials samples with a color sensor, the color descriptive data isderived from analyzing selected regions of each sample with aspectrophotometer, and the color image data for each sample iscoordinated with the color descriptive data for the same sample; and (b)searching the database to identify a subset of the decorative materialssamples, the subset containing at least data in common with a userselection of color from a color reference system, and also correspondingto a user selection of textual descriptions.
 14. The article ofmanufacture of claim 13, wherein the textual descriptions of thedecorative materials samples include style and pattern characteristicsof the decorative materials samples.
 15. The article of manufacture ofclaim 13, wherein the color descriptive data are expressed in terms of acolor reference system.
 16. The article of manufacture of claim 15,wherein the step of searching the database includes comparing thespectrophotometric measurements expressed in terms of the colorreference system to the selection of color from the color referencesystem.
 17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the methodfurther comprises the step of displaying the images of the subset of thedecorative materials samples on a computer display.
 18. The article ofmanufacture of claim 13, wherein the database further stores paintsearch data and the database identifies paint that coordinates with theidentified subset of decorative materials samples based on the colorreference system.